Parade lap a mainstay at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days

Mark Menter (black shirt) and Josh Menter, right, with their Kawasakis before the Lap for History.

Josh Menter, of Oregon, Ohio, and Mark Mentor, of Newark, Ohio, road the track on Saturday in the Lap for History, which gives AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days participants a chance to ride Mid-Ohio in exchange for a $10 donation to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Tony Nicosia, one of four Grand Marshals, leads the Lap for History.

AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, featuring Riders of Kawasaki, brought the second cousins together over their love for vintage bikes.

But they came to own the twin bikes in very different ways.

Mark bought his new.

"I was looking for the latest, newest thing," he said. "This bike handled really well. And that motor is bulletproof."

Josh, 25, bought his GPZ about five years ago and worked with his father to restore it.

Neither Josh nor his father knew that Mark owned the same make, model and year until the Josh started describing his bike to Mark on the phone. Mark broke in: "That's my bike you're describing. I've got that exact bike."

The Menters come to AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days every year.

"I love seeing all the bikes," Josh said "And you get to run them. It's not every day you get to run your bike on a race track."

Dozens of riders take a parade lap on the track at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.